I'm a bit of a dreamer and have saltwater in my veins. Born on Long Island, NY. My family spent most of their time at the Landing on Long Island's Sound. While I was still fairly young, we moved to Santa Maria, California...around 15 minutes West to Guadalupe beach, 15-35 minutes North to Oceano, Grover Beach, Pismo, and Avila. Cutting class and driving to any one of those places was done with regularity. Low tide days were spent at the beach clamming. A favorite childhood memory is of watching the clammers on foggy mornings. I'd peek out from a sleeping bag on the sand, with my nostrils stinging from the heady stench of seaweed kelp, and rotting fish. The spectral figures with their pitchforks quietly digging among the small soft lapping waves always filled me with wonder. Every part of me...to the marrow of my being... is permeated with the visual, sensual, and spiritual element of sand and sea.

My stepfather was a truck driving, deep sea diving, photographer, and fisherman. He would dive for abalone, and fished for whatever was biting. He photographed passport pictures, portraits, and weddings, and drove his truck to pay the mortgage and support a family he inherited when he married my mother. From a very early age I helped him with all the above except the deep sea diving. Many weekends were spent schlepping heavy camera equipment to weddings and setting up lights. For this reason I am not fond of shooting weddings, but profoundly appreciate good wedding photography...cause i know how difficult it can be. However, I adored working in the darkroom. It was pure magic... particularly for an 11 yr. old back in the day when little girls just didn't do that sort of thing. My first darkroom job was agitating large format negatives in those sturdy black boxes. And now? No darkroom, but a Lightroom that sits inside a computer. The cameras are lighter too, and everything i used to know is now digital and identified in a different language. I'm learning all over again, and wondering if the day will ever come when I can drive the d80 like a BMW instead of a 69 volkswagon bus. I hear this is a good place to learn and share, and am carefully putting my toe in to test the water. Here goes....